Obj. ID: 22151 Wooden Synagogue in Hvizdets' (Gwoździec), Ukraine
The date of construction of the synagogue and the date of the first level of the murals on the walls have different interpretations. According to Piechotka, M., & K. Piechotka , the synagogue was built c. 1640 and was painted after the 1652.
Th. C. Hubka, believes that the synagogue was built c. 1700. The earliest date 1686, that probably manages to read, was inscribed in the dedicatory inscription on the panel on the eastern wall.
The date on the entrance door – 1717.
The date of the murals on the vault – 1729.
There are two painter’s inscriptions:
ראו כל אלה עשתה ידי לכבוד המקום ולכבוד הבריות נאום הצייר יצחק בן הר"ר יהודא ליב הכהן מק"ק ירטשוב לפרט וזה מעשה יד'י לה'ת'פ'ר לפק [דהתפ – 1729]
See, All this was made by my hand {Isaiah 66:2}, for the glory of the place and the glory of the community the artist [of beauty] Isaac son of Rabbi Judah Leib ha-Cohen from the Holy community of Jarychow. In the Year ‘This is my handiwork, in which I glory’ (1729) {Isaiah 60:21}»
על ידי הפועל העוסק במלאכת הקדוש נאום הצייר ישראל בה ישיש הרר מרדכי שן מק"ק יארטשוב גליל דק"ק לביב
«By the worker, engaged in the holy labor, the artist [of beauty] Israel, son of the venerable Rabbi Mordecai from the Holy community of Jarychow, district of the Holy community of Lvov»
The bulk of the building with the prayer hall is almost square in plan (11,3x11,3), covered with a high combined double roof. Two galleries are connected to the building from the west and the south.
The stepped construction of the vault consists of a successive system of octagonal and square vaulting. The square vaultings supported the octagonal vaulting, which was constructed with means of four trapezoidal parts and four triangular pendentives.
The vault and the walls are made by two different decoration schemes at different times.
The murals of the vault were constructed as a single hierarchical composition correlated with the architectural structure of the vault. The entire surface of the vault was covered with a set of floral ornamentation consisting of flowers and fruits, among which were placed medallions of various shapes, filled by a single motif or text.
The murals of the walls are divided into three horizontal levels. Upper - the frieze, decorated with images of animals, birds, and urban buildings. Medium - consists of text panels, framed by architectural ornamentation, usually in the form of a portal. The lower level - is a broad ornamental band. All text tables are separated by a wide ornamental strip (borders) with a variety of floral and geometric patterns.
2 image(s)
